ORNL and INL partner on 3D-printed pressure vessels

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge and Idaho national laboratories have announced a collaboration to expand the domestic supply chain for industrial pressure vessels using wire arc additive manufacturing.

• The labs will help industry develop wire arc 3D printing for pressure vessels by leveraging expertise in additive manufacturing, real-time accuracy monitoring, parts qualification, and nuclear material properties.
• ORNL said the effort builds on a July demonstration of a small pressure vessel on the MedUSA platform, and the collaboration was announced on Aug. 19 at Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Days (M2IND) at ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF).

The announcement is a lab collaboration and event report, not a commercial deal, and it also links the work to broader applications in nuclear energy, chemical refining, oil and gas, defense, aerospace, and AI data centers.